When Do Oak Trees Bloom?

Mark BingamanUpdated February 21, 2017

Although most oak trees are capable of blooming acorns at approximately two decades of maturity, the majority produce the seed with vigour between 50 and 80 years of age; production falls off drastically as the tree nears a century of growth.

Time Frame

Oak trees begin to bloom in the spring as rising temperatures encourage fresh leaves to unfurl and flower buds to expand. Different segments of the species bloom at their own pace. "Red oaks tend to flower about two weeks earlier than white oaks," reports the University of Tennessee Extension service.

Blooms

Oak trees are monoecious, meaning that both male --staminate -- and female -- pistillate -- flowers reside on the same tree. Male blooms tend to be the most visible and, normally by April, they produce long, wormlike entities that droop downward from the base of new branches. The male flowers emit a pollen that allergy sufferers often notice by mid-April.

Acorns

The oak tree continues to bloom with male flowers from surrounding trees pollinating adjacent female flowers. Six ovules at the bottom of each female flower contain eggs and, eventually, one of these egg containers will become fertilised and bloom into an acorn. The majority of oak trees begin producing acorns at 20 years of age.

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About the Author

Mark Bingaman has entertained and informed listeners as a radio personality and director of programming at stations across the U.S. A recognized expert in the integration of broadcast media with new media, he served as associate editor and director of Internet development for two industry trade publications, "Radio Ink" and "Streaming Magazine." Today, he heads the International Social Media Chamber of Commerce.